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Every Open Eye
Every Open Eye is the second studio album by Scottish synthpop band Chvrches, released on 25 September 2015. Self-produced, it is the band's follow-up to their critically acclaimed debut, The Bones of What You Believe (2013). The album title comes from a lyric in the song "Clearest Blue". Recording and production Chvrches began work on their second album in January 2015, six weeks after returning from touring to promote The Bones of What You Believe. Recording took place in a studio in a basement flat owned by Cook, refurbished with the advance for the new album. The trio would write a rough instrumental, Mayberry would pen lyrics and they would then put together a demo track. The band wrote around thirty demos in all. Producing all the music themselves, they recorded 21 tracks in total. The recording process took about five months, with the band working six-hour days, five days a week. The band were approached about the prospect of co-writing songs for the album, but refused; Doherty explained: "As we were making this album, a bunch of people offered to write with us, but we wanted to be an actual band." Cook noted that they wanted the album "to sound and to feel spontaneous". "Clearest Blue", the seventeenth track recorded for the album, "came to define how the rest sounds", according to Doherty: "big and happy and sad and a banger". The group determined democratically which tracks would be included on the album, and were in disagreement over inclusion of "Afterglow". On the final day of recording they slowed it down, removed the drum track and re-recorded the vocal track. The vocals were recorded in a single take, with various background noises left in. Witnessing Mayberry's performance, Doherty was "quite emotional", and they made the decision that the track would close the album. Release On 15 July 2015 at Ottawa Bluesfest, the band debuted the songs "Clearest Blue", "Leave a Trace" and "Make Them Gold" before a live audience. On 17 July 2015, the band released the first single, "Leave a Trace", along with the formal announcement of the album's title, release date, cover art and track listing. On 12 August 2015, the band released the second single, "Never Ending Circles." On 10 September 2015, the band released the third single, "Clearest Blue." On 20 September 2015, the album debuted on NPR First Listen. Every Open Eye was released on 25 September 2015. Critical reception | rev1 = AllMusic | rev1score = | rev2 = Alternative Press | rev2score = | rev3 = The A.V. Club | rev3score = A | rev4 = Billboard | rev4score = | rev5 = NME | rev5score = | rev6 = Pitchfork Media | rev6score = 7.7/10 | rev7 = PopMatters | rev7score = 7/10 | rev8 = Rolling Stone | rev8Score = | rev9 = Slant Magazine | rev9Score = | rev10 = Spin | rev10score = 7/10 }} Every Open Eye has received very positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a "weighted average" rating out of 100 from selected independent ratings and reviews from mainstream critics, the album received a Metascore of 77/100, based on 30 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews." Billboard's Carl Wilson's four out of five star review claims: "the sound is cleaner -- there are fewer of the stop-start hitches and processed-vocal effects from Bones -- the beats are more resounding, and the choruses often even more explosive." Emily Mackay of the NME praised the album, calling it "a record like a deep gulp of cold air on a clear, bright morning after." Heather Phares of AllMusic rated the album four out of five stars, writing, "even if Every Open Eye is cheerier-sounding than The Bones of What You Believe, its emotions are just as complex." Track listing | title12 = Get Away | length12 = 4:40 | title13 = Follow You | length13 = 3:54 | title14 = Bow Down | length14 = 4:38 | total_length = 55:14 }} | title12 = Up in Arms | length12 = 5:08 | total_length = 47:10 }} | title12 = Up in Arms | length12 = 5:08 | title13 = Get Away | length13 = 4:40 | title14 = Follow You | length14 = 3:54 | title15 = Bow Down | length15 = 4:38 | total_length = 60:22 }} | title12 = Up in Arms | length12 = 5:08 | title13 = Get Away | length13 = 4:40 | title14 = Follow You | length14 = 3:54 | title15 = Bow Down | length15 = 4:38 | title16 = Leave a Trace | note16 = Live at Pitchfork Music Festival | length16 = 3:57 | title17 = Clearest Blue | note17 = Live at Pitchfork Music Festival | length17 = 5:20 | total_length = 69:39 }} | title12 = Get Away | length12 = 4:40 | title13 = Follow You | length13 = 3:54 | title14 = Bow Down | length14 = 4:38 | title15 = Leave a Trace | note15 = Four Tet Remix | length15 = 6:49 | total_length = 62:03 }} Personnel Credits adapted from AllMusic. * Amy Burrows — art direction, design * Chvrches — composition, mixing, performance, production * Danny Clinch — band photography * Bob Ludwig — mastering * David Simpson — engineer * Mark "Spike" Stent — mixing * Geoff Swan — mixing assistant * Jez Tozer — cover photo References Category:2015 albums Category:Chvrches albums Category:Virgin Records albums